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CHAP. 17. (10.)—MACEDONIA.

Macedonia comes next, including 150 nations, and renowned for its
two kings1 and its former empire over the
world; it was formerly known by the name of Emathia2.
Stretching away towards the nations of Epirus on the west
it lies at the back of Magnesia and Thessaly, being itself
exposed to the attacks of the Dardani3. Pæonia and Pelagonia protect its northern parts from the Triballi4. Its
towns are Ægiæ5, at which place its kings were usually
buried, Beræa6, and, in the country called Pieria from the
grove of that name, Æginium7. Upon the coast are
Heraclea8, the river Apilas9, the towns of
Pydna10 and Aloros11,
and the river Haliacmon12. In the interior are the Aloritæ13,
the Vallæi14, the Ph1lylacæi, the Cyrrhestæ15,
the Tyrissæi,
the colony of Pella16, and Stobi17, a town with the rights of
Roman citizens. Next comes Antigonea18, Europus19 upon
the river Axius, and another place of the same name by
which the Rhœmdias flows, Scydra, Eordæa, Mieza, and Gordyniæ.
Then, upon the coast, Ichne20, and the river Axius:
along this frontier the Dardani, the Treres21, and the Pieres,
border on Macedonia. Leaving this river, there are the
nations of Pæonia22, the Paroræi23, the
Eordenses24, the Almopii25, the Pelagones, and the
Mygdones26.

Next come the mountains of Rhodope, Scopius, and Orbelus; and, lying along the extent of country in front of these
mountains, the Arethusii27, the Antiochienses28, the Idomenenses29, the Doberi30, the Æstræenses, the Allantenses, the
Audaristenses, the Morylli, the Garesci31, the Lyncestæ32, the
Othryonei33, and the Amantini34 and Orestæ35,
both of them
free peoples; the colonies of Bullis36 and Dium37, the Xylopolitæ, the Scotussæi, a free people, Heraclea Sintica38, the
Tymphæi39, and the Toronæi.

Upon the coast of the Macedonian Gulf there are the
town of Chalastra40, and, more inland, Piloros; also Lete,
and at the extreme bend of the Gulf, Thessalonica41, a free
city; (from this place to Dyrrhachium it is 245 miles42,)
and then Thermæ43. Upon the Gulf44 of Thermæ are the
towns of Dicæa, Pydna45, Derra, Scione46, the Promontory of
Canastræum47, and the towns of Pallene48 and Phlegra. In this
region also are the mountains Hypsizorus, Epitus, Halcyone,
and Leoomne; the towns of Nyssos49, Phryxelon, Mendæ, and
what was formerly Potidæa50 on the isthmus of Pallene, but
now the Colony of Cassandria; Anthemus51, Olophyxus52, and
the Gulf of Mecyberna53; the towns of Miscella, Ampelos54,
Torone55, Singos56, and the canal, a mile and a half in length,
by means of which Xerxes, king of the Persians, cut off Mount
Athos57 from the main land. This mountain projects from
the level plain of the adjacent country into the sea, a distance
of seventy-five58 miles; its circumference at its base being 150
miles in extent. There was formerly upon its summit the
town of Acroathon59: the present towns are Uranopolis60,
Palæorium, Thyssus, Cleonæ61, and Apollonia, the inhabitants
of which have the surname of Macrobii62. The town also of
Cassera, and then the other side of the Isthmus, after which
come Acanthus63, Stagira64, Sithone65,
Heraclea66, and the country of Mygdonia that lies below, in
which are situate, at some
distance from the sea, Apollonia67 and Arethusa. Again, upon
the coast we have Posidium68, and the bay with the town of
Cermorus, Amphipolis69, a free town, and the nation of the
Bisaltæ. We then come to the river Strymon70 which takes
its rise in Mount Hæmus71 and forms the boundary of Macedonia: it is worthy of remark that it first discharges itself
into seven lakes before it proceeds onward in its course.

Such is Macedonia, which was once the mistress of the
world, which once extended72 her career over Asia, Armenia,
Iberia, Albania, Cappadocia, Syria, Egypt, Taurus, and Caucasus, which reduced the whole of the East under her power,
and triumphed over the Bactri, the Medes, and the Persians.
She too it was who proved the conqueror of India, thus
treading in the footsteps of Father Liber73 and of Hercules;
and this is that same Macedonia, of which our own general
Paulus Æmilius sold to pillage seventy-two74 cities in one day.
So great the difference in her lot resulting from the actions
of two75 individuals!

1 Philip, the Conqueror of Greece, and Alexander, the Conqueror of
Asia.

2 The original Emathia, as mentioned by Homer, is coupled with
Pieria as lying between the Hellenic cities of Thessaly and Pæonia, and
Thrace.

3 A tribe of the south-west of Mœsia, and extending over a part of
Illyricum. According to Strabo, they were a wild race, of filthy habits,
living in caves under dunghills, but fond of music.

15 The people of Cyrrhus; probably on the site of the present
Vistritza. Leake however makes a place called Paleokastro to occupy its
site. Tyrissæ was probably in its vicinity.

16 Now Alaklisi, upon a lake formed by the Lydias. Philip made it
the capital of Macedonia, and it was the birth-place of Alexander the
Great. It was made a Roman colony under the name of Julia Augusta
Pella.

34 Amantia was properly in Illyria, to the south of the river Aoüs.
Leake places it at Nivitza.

35 A people of the north of Epirus, on the borders of Macedonia. They
were said to have derived their name from Orestes, who, after the murder
of his mother, founded in their territory the town of Argos Oresticum.

36 A Greek city of Illyria. Dr. Holland discovered its remains at
Graditza on the Aoüs or Viosa.

37 The bulwark of the Macedonian maritime frontier to the south.
Leake discovered its site near the modern Malathria.

38 On the right bank of the river Strymon in Thracian Macedonia. It
stood on the site of the modern Zervokhori.

40 In Mygdonia, at the mouth of the Axius—King Perseus put all its
male inhabitants to death. Its site was at or near the modern Kulakia.

41 Now Saloniki. Its original name was Thermæ, but it was first made
an important city by Cassander, B.C. 315, who gave it its new name in
honour of his wife, the sister of Alexander the Great: S, Paul visited it
about A.D. 53, and two years after addressed from Corinth two Epistles
to his converts in the city.

53 Now Molivo, at the head of the Toronaic Gulf, part of which thence
took its name.

54 The name of a promontory at the extremity of the peninsula of Si-
thonia, in Chalcidice. It seems to correspond with the modern Cape
Kartali.

55 In the district of Chalcidice, on the S.W. of the peninsula of
Sithonia.

56 On the east of the peninsula of Sithonia. It gave its name to the
Sinus Singiticus or Singitic Gulf.

57 Now Monte Santo, at the end of the long peninsula running out
from Chalcidice.

58 This is a mistake. It is only forty miles in length. From Lieut.
Smith (Journal of Royal Geogr. Soc. vol. vii. p. 65) we learn that its
average breadth is about four miles; consequently Pliny's statement as to
its circumference must be greatly exaggerated. Juvenal, Sat. x. l. 174,
mentions the story of the canal as a specimen of Greek falsehood; but
distinct traces have survived, to be seen by modern travellers, all the way
from the Gulf of Monte Santo to the Bay of Erso in the Gulf of
Contessa, except about 200 yards in the middle, which has been
probably
filled up.

59 Or Acrothöum. Pliny, with Strabo and Mela, errs in thinking that
it stood on the mountain. It stood on the peninsula only, probably on
the site of the modern Lavra.

60 Or the 'Heaven City,' from its elevated position. It was founded
by Alexarchus, brother of Cassander, king of Macedon.

63 Now Erisso; on the east side of the Isthmus, about a mile and a half
from the canal of Xerxes. There are ruins here of a large mole.

64 A little to the north of the Isthmus now called Stavro. It was the
birth-place of Aristotle the philosopher, commonly called the Stagirite, and was, in consequence, restored by Philip, by whom it had been
destroyed; or, as Pliny says in B. vii. c. 30, by Alexander the Great.

65 The name of the central one of the three peninsulas projecting from
Chalcidice. The poets use the word Sithonius frequently as signifying
'Thracian.'

66 Possibly not the same as the Heraclea Sintica previously mentioned.

67 Now called Pollina, south of Lake Bolbe, on the road from Thessalonica to Amphipolis.

68 Sacred to Poseidon or Neptune. Now Capo Stavros in Thessaly,
the west front of the Gulf of Pagasa, if indeed this is the place here
meant.

69 On the left or eastern bank of the river Strymon, which flowed round
it, whence its name Amphi-polis, "round the city." Its site is now
occupied by a village called Neokhorio, in Turkish Jeni-Keni or "New-
town." A few remains are still to be seen. The bay at the mouth of
the Strymon, now Struma or Kara-Sou, is called the Gulf of Orphano.

70 A Thracian people, extending from the river Strymon on the east
to Crestonica on the west.

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